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Not to be confused with Saikano.
Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend
The cover for the first light novel volume featuring Eriri Spencer Sawamura
冴えない彼女（ヒロイン）の育てかた
(Saenai Hiroin no Sodatekata)
GenreRomantic comedy, Harem[1]
Light novel
Written byFumiaki Maruto
Illustrated byKurehito Misaki
Published byFujimi Shobo
ImprintFujimi Fantasia Bunko
DemographicMale
Original runJuly 20, 2012 – present
Volumes11 (List of volumes)
Manga
Written byFumiaki Maruto
Illustrated byTakeshi Moriki
Published byFujimi Shobo
English publisher
MagazineMonthly Dragon Age
DemographicShōnen
Original runJanuary 9, 2013 – present
Volumes8 (List of volumes)
Manga
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata: Egoistic-Lily
Written byFumiaki Maruto
Illustrated byNiito
Published byKadokawa Shoten
MagazineYoung Ace
DemographicSeinen
Original runFebruary 4, 2013 – May 2, 2014
Volumes3 (List of volumes)
Manga
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata: Koisuru Metronome
Written byFumiaki Maruto
Illustrated bySabu Musha
Published bySquare Enix
MagazineBig Gangan
DemographicSeinen
Original runAugust 24, 2013 – present
Volumes6 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Directed byKanta Kamei
Written byFumiaki Maruto
Music byHajime Hyakkoku
StudioA-1 Pictures
Licensed by
Original networkFuji TV (Noitamina)
English network
Original run January 9, 2015 – March 27, 2015
Episodes12 (List of episodes)
Video game
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata -Blessing Flowers-
Developer5pb. and Guyzware
Publisher5pb.
Music byAbo Takeshi and Shiki
Genrevisual novel
PlatformPS Vita
ReleasedApril 30, 2015
Light novel
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata: Girls Side
Written byFumiaki Maruto
Illustrated byKurehito Misaki
Published byFujimi Shobo
ImprintFujimi Fantasia Bunko
DemographicMale
PublishedFebruary 20, 2015
Anime television series
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Flat
Directed byKanta Kamei
Written byFumiaki Maruto
Music byHajime Hyakkoku
StudioA-1 Pictures
Original networkFuji TV (Noitamina)
Original run April 2017 – scheduled

Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend (Japanese: 冴えない彼女(ヒロイン)の育てかた, Hepburn: Saenai Hiroin no Sodatekata), also known in the short form Saekano (冴えカノ),[2] is a Japanese light novel series by Fumiaki Maruto, with illustrations by Kurehito Misaki. Fujimi Shobo has published eleven volumes since July 2012 under their Fujimi Fantasia Bunko imprint. It has received a manga adaptation in addition to two spin-off manga adaptations. An anime television series adaptation by A-1 Pictures[3] aired between January 8 and March 26, 2015 on Fuji TV's noitamina block.[4] The anime has been licensed by Aniplex of America.[5] A second season was announced and will begin airing in April 2017.[6]

Plot

Tomoya Aki, a male high school teenager who works part-time to fund his otaku lifestyle (anime, dating sims, and related merchandise) encounters a beautiful girl one day during spring vacation. A month later, he finds out that the girl is his classmate, Megumi, who is hardly noticeable to her classmates. Hoping to create a visual novel computer game, he turns to school beauties Eriri Spencer Sawamura for designing the art, and Utaha Kasumigaoka for writing the game scenario. Tomoya then recruits Megumi to star as the "heroine" (the main character's love interest) of his game, thus forming the development team "Blessing Software", in which the three most renowned students in the school (Tomoya, Eriri and Utaha) work on one of the least noticeable (Megumi). The series follows their adventures in developing the game and their plans to sell it at the Comiket convention, as well as the emotional entanglements among the team.

Characters

Main characters

The main characters are members of a dōjin group named Blessing Software. Their goal is to produce a visual novel whose main heroine is modeled on Megumi.

Tomoya Aki (安芸 倫也, Aki Tomoya)
Voiced by: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka[7]
Tomoya is the viewpoint character in the light novel. He is a student in class 2B of Toyogasaki Academy. As an otaku, he enjoys reading comics and light novels, watching anime and playing galge. With his childhood friend Eriri and student novelist Utaha, he starts a visual novel project where he recruits Megumi Kato. He serves as the producer, director and programmer for Blessing Software, and manages Michiru's band "Icy Tail".
Eriri Spencer Sawamura (澤村・スペンサー・英梨々, Sawamura Supensā Eriri)
Voiced by: Saori Ōnishi[7]
Tomoya's childhood best friend is a student in class 2G and the most promising painter on the art club.[LN 1] Born to a British father and a Japanese mother, she has blond hair styled in twin tails. She is very popular at school, acting as a refined lady,[LN 1] but harbors a secret otaku lifestyle of playing video games shared with Tomoya and making adult-themed manga under the pseudonym Eri Kashiwagi (柏木 エリ, Kashiwagi Eri) in a group called "Egoistic-Lily".[7] Tomoya recruits her to be the illustrator for the Blessing Software game. Tomoya describes her as an astounding beauty but upon peeling off her surface personality, she has a cruel, sadistic, passionate and animalistic nature.[LN 1]
Utaha Kasumigaoka (霞ヶ丘 詩羽, Kasumigaoka Utaha)
Voiced by: Ai Kayano[7]
Utaha is a student in class 3C, and an up-and-coming young novelist under the pseudonym of Utako Kasumi (霞 詩子, Kasumi Utako).[LN 1] Her first light novel, Koisuru Metronome, was published under the Fushikawa Fantastic Bunko imprint and had sold over 500,000 copies. She has both intelligence and beauty, and is the brightest student in the school. Most of the students hold her in awe.[LN 1] Tomoya describes her as having long black-hair with an expressionless and quiet nature that gives her the appearance of a beauty, but harbors a sharp and critical tongue.[LN 1][7] She calls Tomoya Rinri-kun (倫理君) after he flatly rejected her suggestion that he read the last volume of Koisuru Metronome before it is published. She is in charge of writing the scenario for the game by Blessing Software.
Megumi Kato (加藤 恵, Katō Megumi)
Voiced by: Kiyono Yasuno[7]
Megumi is Tomoya's classmate and the title character, who despite being good-looking, is otherwise so ordinary that she does not stand out in class at all. She knows little about otaku culture but never keeps Tomoya at arm's length. Her attitude toward Tomoya is often described as an ordinary person.[7] She is the inspiration and working model for Meguri, one of the main heroines of Blessing Software's game. Later on, she also begins learning and helping out with programming.
Izumi Hashima (波島 出海, Hashima Izumi)
Voiced by: Chinatsu Akasaki[7]
Izumi is a student in class 3A of Honoda Junior High, and two years younger than Tomoya.[8] She is an otaku and the member of the dōjin circle "Fancy Wave" (ファンシーウェーブ, Fanshī Wēbu).[7] It was through Tomoya's influence that she became interested in otaku culture. She is deeply grateful to Tomoya for this. She has loved Little Love Rhapsody (リトルラブ・ラプソディ, Ritoru Rabu Rapusodī), an otome video game series[7] released by Sonar (a parody of Sony) since Tomoya bought her Little Love Rhapsody 2 and a PlayStation Portable console on her birthday. There is rivalry between Eriri and Izumi, then Izumi decided to compete with Eriri in the next Winter Comiket. Izumi made up her mind to be the illustrator for her brother Iori's dōjin circle "Rouge en rouge".
Michiru Hyodo (氷堂 美智留, Hyōdō Michiru)
Voiced by: Sayuri Yahagi[7]
Michiru is Tomoya's cousin. She is a student in class 3, in the second year of Tsubaki Girls' Senior High School.[8] She is a very versatile girl except for her poor performance in school. She is good at almost everything and doesn't stick to anything for long, but she has been absorbed in singing her favorite songs and playing the guitar in the band "Icy Tail"[7] for the past year. Michiru had a prejudice against otaku culture and wasn't happy about Tomoya being an otaku until her bandmates revealed that they were all otaku. Michiru composes the music for the Blessing Software game.

Secondary groups and characters

Rouge en rogue
A well-known dōjin circle that plans to release the game Towa to Setsuna no Évangile (永遠と刹那のエヴァンジル, Towa to Setsuna no Ebanjiru, lit. The Gospel of Eternity and Transience) with illustrations by Izumi at the next Winter Comiket. Its members include Iori Hashima (波島 伊織, Hashima Iori) (Voiced by: Tetsuya Kakihara) who is Izumi's brother and the circle's representative, and Akane Kosaka (紅坂 朱音, Kōsaka Akane), the manga artist and founder of the group.
Fushikawa Shoten (不死川書店)
A publishing company which has its own light novel publishing imprint Fushikawa Fantastic Bunko (不死川ファンタスティック文庫). Sonoko Machida (町田 苑子, Machida Sonoko) is one of the editors there (Voiced by: Houko Kuwashima) is Utaha's editor.
Icy Tail (アイシー・テール, Aishī Tēru)
An all-girl band consisting of mostly otaku enthusiasts. Its members include Michiru Hyodo on guitar; Tokino Himekawa (姫川 時乃, Himekawa Tokino), a petite girl who also plays guitar (voiced by Eri Suzuki), Echika Mizuhara (水原 叡智佳, Mizuhara Echika) on bass (voiced by Rui Tanabe), and Ranko Morioka (森丘 藍子, Morioka Ranko) on drums (voiced by You Daichi).
Keiichi Kato (加藤 圭一, Katō Keiichi)
Voiced by Sōma Saitō
Keiichi is Megumi's cousin. He is a student at Johoku Medical School.
Sayuri Sawamura (澤村 小百合, Sawamura Sayuri)
Voiced by Mai Nakahara
Sayuri is Eriri's mother. It is revealed that she is a fujoshi.
Yoshihiko Kamigo (上郷 喜彦, Kamigō Yoshihiko)[note 1]
Voiced by Yuuma Uchida
Yoshihiko is a friend of Tomoya's.

Cherry Blessing characters

Cherry Blessing (cherry blessing 〜巡る恵みの物語〜, Cherī Buresshingu - Meguru Megumi no Monogatari, lit. Cherry Blessing: The Reincarnation Story of a Blessing) is the name of the visual novel that the Blessing Software group develops.

Seiji Azumi (安曇 誠司, Azumi Seiji)
Seiji is the main protagonist. He is a reincarnation of Soma and has vague memories of his ancestors. He is modeled on Tomoya.
Soma Hinoe (丙 双真, Hinoe Sōma)
Soma is Seiji's great-grandfather. He inherited the supernatural ability to remember what his ancestors experienced, and so he has vivid memories of distant ancestors of his.
Meguri Kano (叶 巡璃, Kanō Meguri)
Meguri is one of the two main heroines. She is Seiji's classmate. She is a reincarnation of Ruri and has vague memories of her ancestors. She is modeled on Megumi.
Ruri Hinoe (丙 瑠璃, Hinoe Ruri)
Ruri is one of the two main heroines. She is Meguri's great-grandmother. She is Soma's sister and his fiancée. She loves him deeply. She inherited the supernatural ability to remember what her ancestors experienced, and so she has vivid memories of distant ancestors of hers. Her personality is modeled on Utaha.
Kirari Spider Kawamura (河村・スパイダー・きらり, Kawamura Supaidā Kirari)
Kirari is one of the heroines. She is Seiji's childhood friend. She is modeled on Eriri.
Kaho Hibarigaoka (雲雀ヶ丘 歌穂, Hibarigaoka Kaho)
Kaho is one of the heroines. She calls Seiji Seijitsu-kun[note 2] (誠実君). She is modeled on Utaha.
Miharu Endo (炎藤 美晴留, Endō Miharu)
Miharu is one of the heroines. She is Seiji's cousin. She is modeled on Michiru.

Media

Light novels

The first light novel volume was published by Fujimi Shobo under their Fujimi Fantasia Bunko imprint on July 20, 2012. As of November 2016, eleven volumes and one short story collection have been published.

Volume list

No. Release date ISBN
1 July 20, 2012[9]978-4-04-071078-5
2 November 20, 2012[10]978-4-04-071081-5
3 March 19, 2013[11]978-4-8291-3875-5
4 July 20, 2013[12]978-4-8291-3917-2
5 November 20, 2013[13]978-4-04-712956-6
6 April 19, 2014[14]978-4-04-070096-0
FD August 20, 2014[15]978-4-04-070282-7
7 December 20, 2014[16]978-4-04-070425-8
8 June 20, 2015[17]978-4-04-070426-5
9 November 20, 2015[18]978-4-04-070743-3
10 July 20, 2016[19]978-4-04-070742-6
11 November 19, 2016[20]978-4-04-072076-0

Manga

A manga adaptation with art by Takeshi Moriki began serialization from January 9, 2013, in Fujimi Shobo's shōnen manga magazine Monthly Dragon Age. It has been collected in eight tankōbon volumes between August 2013 and November 2016.[21]

A spin-off manga titled Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata: Egoistic-Lily with art by Niito began serialization from February 4, 2013, in Kadokawa Shoten's seinen manga magazine Young Ace. It has been collected in three tankōbon volumes as of June 2014. Another spin-off manga titled Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata: Koisuru Metronome with art by Sabu Musha began serialization from August 24, 2013, in Square Enix's seinen manga magazine Big Gangan. It has been collected in six tankōbon volumes as of July 2016.

Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata

No. Release date ISBN
1 August 9, 2013[22]978-4-04-712893-4
2 April 9, 2014[23]978-4-04-070081-6
3 September 9, 2014[24]978-4-04-070340-4
4 January 9, 2015[25]978-4-04-070341-1
5 June 9, 2015[26]978-4-04-070598-9
6 December 5, 2015[27]978-4-04-070599-6
7 June 9, 2016[28]978-4-04-070914-7
8 November 19, 2016[29]978-4-04-072080-7

Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata: Egoistic-Lily

No. Release date ISBN
1 July 2, 2013[30]978-4-04-120784-0
2 December 4, 2013[31]978-4-04-120999-8
3 June 4, 2014[32]978-4-04-121089-5

Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata: Koisuru Metronome

No. Release date ISBN
1 April 19, 2014[33]978-4-75-754296-9
2 August 20, 2014[34]978-4-75-754402-4
3 December 20, 2014[35]978-4-75-754520-5
4 June 20, 2015[36]978-4-75-754664-6
5 December 25, 2015[37]978-4-75-754847-3
6 July 19, 2016[38]978-4-75-755063-6

Anime

The opening theme song for the anime was "Kimi Iro Signal" (君色シグナル) by Luna Haruna, while the ending theme song was "Colorful." (カラフル。) by Miku Sawai. A second season to the anime was announced on May 3, 2015,[39] with the main staff returning from the previous season.[40] The sequel is titled Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Flat, and it will begin airing in April 2017.[6]

Episode list

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No. Title Original air date[41]

Video game

In an announcement on its official website, a PlayStation Vita adventure game based on the anime was slated for release on April 30, 2015. A limited edition with an original soundtrack CD and a B2-size cloth poster will retail for 8,800 yen (about US$74), a regular edition for 6,800 yen (US$57), and a download edition for 6,000 yen (US$51). The first copies of all editions will include a download code for an original custom PS Vita theme.

The game, Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata: -blessing flowers-, will utilize Live 2D software, which moves the characters with CGI but retains their two-dimensional look.

Notes

  1. ^ Yoshihiko's family name "上郷" may be read either Kamigō or Kamisato. It's unclear which reading is correct for him. Kamisato is indicated in the first volume and Kamigō is indicated in volume five.
  2. ^ Seijitsu (誠実) is the Japanese word for "sincerity".

References

Light novels

  • Vol. 1: Saekano 1

Manga

  • Vol. 1 (ch. 1–): Saekano Volume 1

Other

  1. ^ "Saekano -How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend- - The Winter 2015 Anime Preview Guide - Anime News Network". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  2. ^ Maruto, Fumiaki (August 20, 2014). 『冴えない彼女の育てかた FD』 (in Japanese). Fujimi Shobo. p. 284. ISBN 978-4-04-070282-7. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata official anime website" (in Japanese). Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  4. ^ "Saenai Heroine no Sodate-kata Light Novels Get Anime on Noitamina". Anime News Network. March 21, 2014. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
  5. ^ "Aniplex USA Licenses Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend". Anime News Network. December 17, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Saekano's TV Anime Sequel to Premiere on Noitamina in April 2017". Anime News Network. March 17, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2016.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l http://www.saekano.com/character/
  8. ^ a b ドラゴンマガジン (in Japanese). Fujimi Shobo. January 2014. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ "冴えない彼女の育てかた at Fujimishobo.co.jp" (in Japanese). Fujimi Shobo. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  10. ^ "冴えない彼女の育てかた 2 at Fujimishobo.co.jp" (in Japanese). Fujimi Shobo. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  11. ^ "冴えない彼女の育てかた 3 at Fujimishobo.co.jp" (in Japanese). Fujimi Shobo. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  12. ^ "冴えない彼女の育てかた 4 at Fujimishobo.co.jp" (in Japanese). Fujimi Shobo. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  13. ^ "冴えない彼女の育てかた 5 at Fujimishobo.co.jp" (in Japanese). Fujimi Shobo. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  14. ^ "冴えない彼女の育てかた 6 at Fujimishobo.co.jp" (in Japanese). Fujimi Shobo. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  15. ^ "冴えない彼女の育てかた FD at Fujimishobo.co.jp" (in Japanese). Fujimi Shobo. Retrieved August 20, 2014.
  16. ^ 冴えない彼女の育てかた7 at Fujimishobo.co.jp (in Japanese). Kadokawa. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  17. ^ 冴えない彼女の育てかた8 at Fujimishobo.co.jp (in Japanese). Kadokawa. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  18. ^ 冴えない彼女の育てかた9 at Fujimishobo.co.jp (in Japanese). Kadokawa. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  19. ^ 冴えない彼女の育てかた10 at Fujimishobo.co.jp (in Japanese). Kadokawa. Retrieved August 28, 2016.
  20. ^ 冴えない彼女の育てかた11 at Fujimishobo.co.jp (in Japanese). Kadokawa. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  21. ^ 冴えない彼女の育てかた 1 (ドラゴンコミックスエイジ も 3-2-1) (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved September 9, 2014.
  22. ^ "冴えない彼女の育てかた 1 at Fujimishobo.co.jp (manga)" (in Japanese). Fujimi Shobo. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  23. ^ "冴えない彼女の育てかた 2 at Fujimishobo.co.jp (manga)" (in Japanese). Fujimi Shobo. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  24. ^ "冴えない彼女の育てかた 3 at Fujimishobo.co.jp (manga)" (in Japanese). Fujimi Shobo. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  25. ^ "冴えない彼女の育てかた 4 at Fujimishobo.co.jp (manga)" (in Japanese). Fujimi Shobo. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  26. ^ "冴えない彼女の育てかた 5 at Fujimishobo.co.jp (manga)" (in Japanese). Fujimi Shobo. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  27. ^ "冴えない彼女の育てかた 6 at Fujimishobo.co.jp (manga)" (in Japanese). Fujimi Shobo. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  28. ^ "冴えない彼女の育てかた 7 at Fujimishobo.co.jp (manga)" (in Japanese). Fujimi Shobo. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  29. ^ "冴えない彼女の育てかた 8 at Fujimishobo.co.jp (manga)" (in Japanese). Fujimi Shobo. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  30. ^ 冴えない彼女の育てかた～ｅｇｏｉｓｔｉｃ‐ｌｉｌｙ～　（１） (in Japanese). Kadokawa. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  31. ^ 冴えない彼女の育てかた～ｅｇｏｉｓｔｉｃ‐ｌｉｌｙ～　（２） (in Japanese). Kadokawa. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  32. ^ 冴えない彼女の育てかた～ｅｇｏｉｓｔｉｃ‐ｌｉｌｙ～　（３） (in Japanese). Kadokawa. Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  33. ^ 冴えない彼女の育てかた 恋するメトロノーム(1) (ビッグガンガンコミックス). Amazon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  34. ^ 冴えない彼女の育てかた 恋するメトロノーム(2) (ビッグガンガンコミックス). Amazon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  35. ^ 冴えない彼女の育てかた 恋するメトロノーム(3) (ビッグガンガンコミックス). Amazon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  36. ^ 冴えない彼女の育てかた 恋するメトロノーム(4) (ビッグガンガンコミックス). Amazon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  37. ^ 冴えない彼女の育てかた 恋するメトロノーム(5) (ビッグガンガンコミックス). Amazon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  38. ^ 冴えない彼女の育てかた 恋するメトロノーム(6) (ビッグガンガンコミックス). Amazon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved November 25, 2016.
  39. ^ "Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend Anime Gets Sequel". Anime News Network. May 3, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2016.
  40. ^ "Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend Staff Confirmed to Return for Sequel". Anime News Network. January 19, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  41. ^ "作品情報（シリーズ） – 冴えない彼女*の 育てかた[ヒロイン]". Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Japan: Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved January 18, 2016. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
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